1. Field of Technology
Embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to a power converter, and more specifically, to a power converter providing a low voltage auxiliary output for greater operating efficiency of the power converter.
2. Description of the Related Arts
Switching power converters are employed to provide regulated output(s) to electronic devices while being coupled to an unregulated power source. Often times, the voltage level of the unregulated power source is significantly higher than the regulated output voltage levels. This is often the case when the power source is an AC power main.
In addition to providing regulated outputs to external load devices, many power converters require an internal low voltage output for a power control integrated circuit (“controller”). The controller can include low voltage analog and digital circuitry configured to enable feedback control and protection functionality for the power converter. Providing the high voltage input to power the controller requires using a pass element (such as a linear regulator) and is highly inefficient. For example, the typical operating voltage range of a power controller is 5 VDC to 16 VDC, whereas the typical AC input voltage range is 90 VAC to 270 VAC. In addition, an isolating power transformer can be used to provide power to the controller. While more efficient than using the high voltage input to power the controller, such an embodiment requires the use of an additional transformer, which adds additional cost and circuit complexity.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide and control a non-isolated power converter that maintains multiple regulated outputs without compromising system cost and complexity for operational performance.